Passemant astronomical clock
Illustration — Clockface The Passemant astronomical clock is an astronomical clock designed by Claude-Simeon Passemant in the eighteenth century. It is displayed in the Salon de la pendule in the petit appartement du roi on the first floor of Versailles, France. The clock set the official time in France for the first time in the kingdom's history. • Illustration — Passemant astronomical clock
Passemant astronomical clock
Trizek · CC BY-SA 3.0
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- France
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wikidata · Q590000 · wikipedia · Passemant astronomical clock
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Creators
Creators
The clock mechanism was designed by engineer Claude-Siméon Passemant (1702–1769) and executed by the clockmaker Louis Dauthiau (1730–1809). The rococo-style gilt-bronze box protecting the mechanism was made in 1753 by sculptor Jean-Jacques Caffieri (1735–1792) and bronze-founder Philippe Caffieri. • Illustration — Backface
History
History
After being reviewed and approved by the French Academy of Sciences in August 1749, the clock was presented to Louis XV in Choisy by the duc de Chaulnes on 7 September 1750. The King acquired it the same year. In January 1754, the clock took its place among the astronomical clocks of Versailles. The fact that it was placed in the Salon de la pendule demonstrates the interest that Louis XV had in the mechanical arts through clockmaking. Indeed, the room was so named because the dials of clocks were set into the wall panelling.
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- France
Description
The clock is an exceptional rococo work over 2 m in height, crowned with a moving celestial sphere. It shows the date, time, real time average phases of the moon and Copernican planetary motion. The large astronomical dials mark the rising and setting of the sun and moon every day. Earth is represented by a bronze globe on which all countries are engraved with the main cities. This globe is placed among the rocks and waterfalls, which serve as a universal horizon. The mechanism is designed to be able to display the date until the end of the year 9999.
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- “Passemant astronomical clock”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q590000: Passemant astronomical clock
General reference · Wikidata
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The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Passemant astronomical clock, revision 1372871337 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Kergoat, Morgane. Les plus beaux instruments des sciences à l'honneur. Les Cahiers de Science & Vie. hors-série Les Sciences au château de Versailles. 140. 2010.
- 2.Versailles: absolutism and harmony by Jean Pierre Babelon, Claire Constans 1998 page 174
- 3.All Versailles by J. G. D' Hoste 1988 ASIN B0007BXHLQ page 62
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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